GASP. I know how dare me, right? How dare I say that I don't miss "the best four years" of my life (insert sarcastic laugh here). For those of you recent graduates that are constantly complaining about finally being in the real world, I apologize for not relating.
None of this is supposed to insinuate that I had a bad college experience because I did not. I realize how lucky I was to have attended college so I'm not trying to discount my blessings in any way. I really enjoyed my school, my courses, and everything I went through but that doesn't mean I want to relive it and go back to the past like so many others. I am sure years from now when my hair is graying I will want to go back, but as for now, I am just fine where I am.
I spent my allotted four years studying, hanging out with friends, working, eating poorly, rinse and repeat. I met some wonderful and not so wonderful people who I shared numerous memories with, some of whom I will continue doing so. I had great professors and then some who were borderline satanic. I went to the typical college events such as the homecoming football games; mainly for the soft pretzels, but I went nonetheless. I realize college is not prison, but I served my four years and I was ready to move on.
I will not miss trudging across campus in the winter and having to thaw my face out once I reached my classroom. I will not miss spending two to four hours sitting in a stagnant position listening to a lecture I zoned out of after the first five minutes. I will definitely not miss having to spend all day in those lectures just to come back home to do countless amounts of homework.
College is getting through all of those "rites of passage" such as: sharing communal bathrooms that never seem to get clean no matter how hard you scrub, the dorm beds which are basically thick yoga mats, the lack of privacy, roommates, bad college food, the list goes on and on. Yes, all of these are minor things every college student goes through, but that doesn't mean I'm going to miss it.
After four years of worrying about homework, paper deadlines, and tests I am so happy to be able to come home from work and eat dinner without staring at a textbook. I am glad that when I clock into work it's because I WANT to be there and not because I'm worried about attendance points. I am thrilled that I don't have to deal with submitting assignments on-time, being relieved they're done, and then immediately start stressing over getting my grade back.
Reiterating my sentiment from the beginning, I never understand why people say college is "the best four years of your life." These years were not the best but rather the foundation that began building the best. I have college to thank for teaching me how to be confident in my own abilities. For helping me discover that I can finish a ten page paper in less than 24 hours even though tears and regret are more than likely to occur. For teaching me that 2 shots IS more than enough and exceeding that limit can cause tears and regret as well.
To me, these years were simply for learning and growing. I am an entirely different person today than I was four years ago and in another four years, I'm sure I will have changed even more. So no, I will not miss college. I am thankful for the years and look forward to the person I am still growing to be, while constantly trying to make every year better than the "best."
